Tribeca festgoers cross the party line

NEW YORK --- Tribeca bashes finished off with full downtown flair this past weekend, with slick back-to-back soirees at some of the neighborhood's grooviest destinations.

Friday night featured a 20th anni bash for U.K.-based indie Working Title ("has it really been 20 years?" was a common refrain) at hip Meatpacking district destination Soho House. U execs turned out in force to salute studio's Brit wing on the eve of company's merger with NBC.

"I didn't get to sleep until 7 a.m. this morning and I still have 26 more films to watch," said weary comic thesp and festival jury member Eddie Izzard. Sleep deprivation certainly didn't seem to slow the throng.

Further downtown, meanwhile, Showtime was doing its best HBO-impression with a bash at Tribeca's temple to Japanese cuisine, Nobu. Paybox's Matt Blank and Bob Greenblatt were on hand to fete its four Tribeca films.

Friday, Sony Pictures Classics held a small reception for Hector Babenco's "Carindiru" at Churrascaria. "It's a movie about people who have done very bad things, but when they tell their stories you won't believe they did what they say," Babenco said.

Wrapping up the week of screenings was a deeply loungey and VIP-only after-party for "Stage Beauty" Saturday night at the SoHo 323 nightclub, where featured thesps Billy Crudup, Ben Chaplin and Claire Danes were ensconced comfortably with pals behind club's heavily fortified velvet ropes.

Thursday night parties competed with an outdoor screening of the "Friends" finale by Pier 25. Miramax's "Dear Frankie" soiree was far from the crowds at Soho House. Co-star Gerard Butler, who initially turned down the script after only a cursory glance, recounted his reaction upon the second read: "How can I have thrown this away? I love when I catch myself being an idiot."